Why is there a lot of Black sut on the back of my truck.

[Russ Harris]

I have a 2003 Ram 2500 5.9L 6-speed and for some reason I have a lot of black sut residue on the back of my tailgate. I have no check engine light on or any idle issues. Truck as far as I know isn't heavily modified, it is used as a normal every day driver in town and on highway speeds up to 80mph.

 

[seafish]

Firstly you need to post more info on whether your truck has been performance modified in anyway for fuel or air increases.

Also more info on your driving habits and truck use... for instance a "grocery getter" that sees only a little hard usage will tend to soot up more then a stock towing truck.

 

[Russ Harris]

Firstly you need to post more info on whether your truck has been performance modified in anyway for fuel or air increases.

Also more info on your driving habits and truck use... for instance a "grocery getter" that sees only a little hard usage will tend to soot up more then a stock towing truck.

Thanks for the hint, I just updated my post.

 

[AH64ID]

Is the exhaust stock?

Soot on the tailgate tells me that you either have a different exhaust location or possibly an exhaust leak.

Soot production is normal on older trucks, even stock ones. My 05 was heavily modified but ran visibly cleaner than it did stock. I got plenty of soot on the quarter panel, but none on the tailgate. That was with the stock exhaust location.

 

[cerberusiam]

Normal for that year. No DPF to catch the soot, engine tuning is stoich rich so you get more soot than anything. Stock exhaust puts it on the bumper and tailgate. Make sure the exhaust is not rotted out on the tailpipe and add a extension to the end to get it out past the bumper and it will help a lot.

 

[Russ Harris]

Is the exhaust stock?

Soot on the tailgate tells me that you either have a different exhaust location or possibly an exhaust leak.

Soot production is normal on older trucks, even stock ones. My 05 was heavily modified but ran visibly cleaner than it did stock. I got plenty of soot on the quarter panel, but none on the tailgate. That was with the stock exhaust location.

No we just ran straight exhaust and dumped it out the back with a tip.

 

[mwilson]

No we just ran straight exhaust and dumped it out the back with a tip.

That’s probably the issue.

Needs to exit from the side if you want the soot to stop sticking to the tail gate.

 

[AH64ID]

No we just ran straight exhaust and dumped it out the back with a tip.

As Mike said, that’s your issue. This is why you don’t often see diesel trucks with exhausts straight out the back.

 

[mwilson]

I don’t know the technical term but there is a vortex of sorts created by the tail gate so any soot, oil, antifreeze, fuel or guck coming from the truck immediately adheres to the tail gate..